


first christmas

by vampiriic



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, it still counts as a christmas fic if its uploaded at 10:55pm on christmas day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13151946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampiriic/pseuds/vampiriic
Summary: the first time sorin spends christmas with car's family.alternatively, when car doesn't know about sorin's family yet.





	first christmas

**Author's Note:**

> another one thats not beta read or edited, bc i hate myself i guess

“Sorin!”

She’s at her locker putting her books away when she hears her name. When she looks up, she sees Car waving at her through the crowd. It’s the start of winter break and everyone is chattering excitedly in the halls as they leave. 

Sorin shuts her locker as Car approaches. “Hey,” he says, grinning. “What are your Christmas plans? Anything exciting?” They start walking towards the entrance of the school. 

Her gaze wanders to his hand, so close to hers. She could easily reach out and take it.

But no. She won’t. She can’t.

Instead, she adjusts her grip on her backpack. “My parents are busy.” She shrugs, attempting to appear nonchalant. Her parents aren’t busy, exactly, but it’s what she’s used to. Curled up under her blankets while her parents celebrate Christmas with her brother downstairs.

Car’s smile turns into a frown. “Too busy for Christmas? Weren’t they too busy for your birthday too? What kind of jobs do they have, anyway?”

Sorin looks at him, startled. He remembered the same lame excuse she had used for her birthday a month ago. “Jobs that keep them busy,” is all she says after a moment. Too busy for her, but never for Landon. 

“That’s fucking lame,” Car says. She catches him glance over at her, and he looks away when he sees her. “You should… You should come over to my place for Christmas.” He tugs on the strings of his sweatshirt as he says it, looking down at the ground then up at the parking lot.

His suggestion catches her off guard. “Really?”

He finally meets her gaze as he fishes his car keys from his pocket. “Yeah. I mean, if your parents are busy, and your brother is a douche, you shouldn’t have to spend time alone on Christmas. My parents and siblings love you. It’d be fine. Great, actually.” He stumbles over his words, and the corner of her mouth turns up slightly. They arrive at his car and he almost drops his keys as he unlocks it. 

Sorin thinks of cold nights listening to music as she stares out her window at the snow. At the houses down the street with their lights on, Christmas trees visible in warm, candlelit windows. She thinks of her brother visiting, every year, and how he’s in the living room with their parents celebrating and being a family without her.

“I’d love to,” she says, sliding into the passenger seat. 

Car glances over at her with a grin. The car turns on, heaters blasting. It feels good against the cold winter air. “Really?” he asks. “I wasn’t sure what you’d say. But you’ll come?” There’s so much relief and genuine happiness on his face as they back out of the parking lot that she laughs.

“Yes,” she promises. “I’ll come.”

-

“It’s three AM. Go to bed,” Car says as soon as he picks up. Even though he picked up after only two rings and she knows for a fact he keeps his phone on silent. Even though Sorin can tell from his voice he was not asleep.

“I’m  _ in _ bed,” she shoots back. She’s laying flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “Should I dress fancier for Christmas?”

A pause. “ _ That’s _ what’s keeping you up?”

It is, but he doesn’t need to know. “No. Just crossed my mind.” On the other end of the line, Car sighs, but she’s familiar enough with him to know that he’s not annoyed.  

“No,” he answers after a moment. “It doesn’t matter. You could come in your pajamas if you wanted.” 

Sorin laughs. “Really?”

“Probably not that,” Car admits. “But like, what you wear to school would be fine. Trust me.”

“If you say so,” she says. It reassures her that she doesn’t have to dress up. Half of the night had been spent wondering if she had to. The other half was spent panicking because she didn’t have any dressy clothes.

“I do say so.” Car yawns. “Was that all you needed to ask?”

“Yeah. Go to sleep.” In the darkness, she smiles.

“Goodnight Sorin.”

“Goodnight Car.” They hang up, and she falls asleep soon after. 

-

“Are you sure this is okay?” Sorin asks for about the thirtieth time as they pull up to Car’s driveway. “I mean, I don’t want to intrude or anything. Or what if I fuck something up?”

Car cuts the engine and turns to face her. “Sorin. It’s  _ fine. _ Haven’t you ever had dinners with other families before?”

“Not exactly,” Sorin confesses, and it’s the closest thing to the truth she’s told him. 

He stares at her. “You need to get out more,” he says, and she can tell he’s only half-joking. “But trust me, okay? It’ll be fine.”

She opens her mouth to reply, but he holds up a hand.

“I told you, my family is chill. They’d have to, to put up with me.” He grins and opens the car door. “Come on, let's get inside. It’s fucking freezing.”

Car’s mother meets them in the hallway. “Sorin! It’s so nice to see you!” She sweeps Sorin into a hug. For half a second Sorin doesn’t know how to respond, not used to such warm physical contact. But she returns the embrace, and when they pull apart, Car’s mother is beaming. “I’m so glad you could join us.”

“Thank you for having me,” Sorin says, unable to keep a grin from spreading across her face. Car shoots her a look that says  _ see I told you everything was fine. _ She flashes him her middle finger.

-

Sorin doesn’t remember the last time she felt so full, and Car’s mother is a damn good cook. “I’ll help with the dishes,” she declares, and doesn’t take no for an answer even with basically Car’s entire family protesting.

“It’s the least I can do, Mrs. Zafer,” Sorin says, minutes later in the kitchen where she washes the dishes while Car’s mother dries them and flits around the kitchen putting things away. 

“Please, call me Sarah,” comes the quick reply. Sarah closes one of the cabinets and turns to face her. “So. Car’s told me that your parents were busy today. Are they always busy around the holidays?”

Sorin freezes, hands submerged in soapy water. “Yes,” is all she manages.

“Well that’s a shame.” Sarah removes another dish from the sink and begins to dry it. “But just know you’re always welcome here to celebrate with us.”

It’s one of the kindest gestures she’s ever received. “Really?” she whispers. Her voice wobbles and she has to dry her eyes with her sleeve.

Sarah gives her a warm smile. “Of course.”

-

Sorin sits on the couch next to Car while his family exchanges presents. Part of her feels like an outsider intruding on their family experience, but they treat her no differently than they do each other. 

She smiles and laughs and later they watch Christmas movies while enjoying hot chocolate together and-

And it feels like she’s part of a family, for once.

-

It’s late by the time Car pulls up in front of Sorin’s house. “Wait,” he says, just as she’s reaching for the door handle. He reaches into the backseat and pulls out a present. “For you,” he says, grinning at the expression on her face.

Sorin gingerly takes it from him. “But I didn’t get you anything,” she says, shoulders slumping. They hadn’t discussed anything about giving each other gifts, and the fact that he got her one while she hadn’t gotten him anything made her heart slightly ache.

But Car only laughs. “I fuckin’ knew you’d say something like that.” He leans back against his seat. “It’s okay, really. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to feel obligated to get me anything back.”

The ache lessens, but only slightly. She vows to return the favor. “Can I open it now?” She doesn’t want her parents or brother to see, because she doesn’t want to answer the questions she knows they’d have. At Car’s eager nod, she peels back the wrapping paper and opens the box.

It’s a sweatshirt. Specifically, the one she had liked and pointed out to Car months ago when they had been looking in random shops in town. She looks from the sweatshirt to him. “Car?”

His smile turns sheepish. “I noticed yours was getting kinda worn out, and you said you liked this one, so.” 

“That was months ago!”

He shrugs. “So? You said you liked it,” he says, like it’s the most simple thing in the world.

Sorin laughs a little, tears welling up in her eyes. “I love it,” she says. “Thank you.” There’s a lump in her throat that makes it hard for her to speak and there are so many things she wants to say. But Car seems to understand. 

He reaches over to hug her and she doesn’t hesitate, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispers again, tears finally slipping down her cheeks.

Car hugs her tightly. “Merry Christmas, Sorin.”

“Merry Christmas, Car.”

**Author's Note:**

> self-indulgent, but also a sort-of christmas gift for my friend GG, who is car's creator lol.
> 
> merry christmas GG! <3 u
> 
> and of course, merry christmas to everyone who celebrates!


End file.
